Everything you want to know before showing up.

No. We welcome people of all genders, orientations, and backgrounds who want to sing together in community. Our 2SLGBTQIA+ identity is at the core of who we are; it shapes our repertoire, our values, and our culture, but membership is open to all.

Members must be 19 or older.

Show up on a Tuesday at 7:15 pm at St. Margaret’s Cedar Cottage. Introduce yourself to whoever is near the door, someone will make sure you feel welcome and know where to go.

Rehearsals are led by our Music Director, Edette Gagné, with Elliott Dainow at the piano. You will warm up, work through music the choir is preparing, and sing. You won’t be asked to sing alone. You won’t be assessed. You’re just there to sing.

Yes. You are welcome to come along any Tuesday, at any point in the season. If you join close to a concert, you and the Music Director will decide together whether you are ready to perform, but you are always welcome to come and sing on Tuesdays regardless.

No. A number of our members sing with us very successfully without being able to read music. Rehearsals are also recorded on Zoom so you can listen back later.

Every Tuesday, 7:15 – 9:30 pm, from September through to mid-June, at St. Margaret’s Cedar Cottage, 1530 East 22nd Avenue, Vancouver (at Dumfries Street, near the corner of Knight and Kingsway).

The first rehearsal of the fall term is usually the Tuesday after Labour Day. We also hold a weekend retreat once per term, a Friday evening through to Saturday afternoon.

Yes — and this is a permanent option, not a temporary one. Every rehearsal is available by Zoom. Members who cannot attend in person for any reason: illness, distance, accessibility needs, are welcome to join online. The Zoom link goes out to all members before each Tuesday.

Two terms per year: September to January, and February to June. Rehearsals are weekly on Tuesday evenings. We hold two concerts a year, in late January and late June, and a weekend retreat each term.

We also do outreach performances a few times a year. These are optional, and we never schedule more than one non-Tuesday outreach per month.

A wide variety — pop and rock, vocal jazz, light classical, selections from musicals, folk songs, and music from the 2SLGBTQIA+ repertoire. We mostly sing in English, but we have sung in Italian, Spanish, Russian, and more.

We look for music that is positive, meaningful, and worth singing together.

Generally, no. Occasionally we will sing something with spiritual language in it, but we choose music that leaves interpretation open to the singers and the audience.

No. We encourage memorization because it makes for a better experience for everyone, singers and audience alike. But you can use printed music during concerts if you need it, and many people do. It is never a condition of performing.

Everyone pays $20 per year: a $5 society membership fee and a $15 music fee. That covers everything you need to participate. If paying the society and music licence fee all at once is a problem, please talk to our Treasurer.

Members are also invited to contribute $40 per month to help sustain the choir. This is entirely optional and is never a condition of joining or staying. If cost is any kind of barrier, just talk to us. No forms, no awkwardness.

Yes. St. Margaret’s Cedar Cottage is wheelchair accessible and scent-free. We have gender-neutral bathrooms. Zoom access is available for anyone who cannot attend in person.

Two major concerts a year, usually in late January and late June at the Vancouver Unitarians. We also do smaller outreach performances at community centres, seniors’ homes, hospitals, and fundraisers throughout the season.

Every four years we participate in the Unison Choruses Festival. We are planning to take part in Unison Festival 2026 in Vancouver.

Yes — we do a number of smaller appearances throughout the season, both paid and volunteer. If you would like to invite us to sing, please get in touch at outinharmonysecretary@gmail.com.